Why Do We Feel Sleepy After Eating And What Foods Are Responsible For It?

Do you find yourself feeling sleepy after your meals and you would like to avoid it? As a rule, this phenomenon is due to the consumption of a certain type of food.

Below we will reveal some tips that will prevent you from suffering from this phenomenon.

If you have the opportunity, do not hesitate to take short naps of 10 to 15 minutes after your meals. This will help you anticipate this feeling of sleep and avoid sleeping for several hours.

As we know this is not always possible, you can also take action directly at the source of the problem. For this, you will have to avoid certain foods.

We obviously remind you that you should never overeat. That you also need to ingest enough water to keep your body in good shape.

Take note of our advice and say goodbye to that feeling of sleep you feel after your meals. Be in great shape again all day long!

Avoid dairy products

Dairy products are essential for good bone health, but you need to be careful how you eat them.

They contain tryptophan and calcium, two elements that help our bodies to strengthen our bones.

However, they also produce a relaxing effect, which is especially powerful when we consume hard cheeses, since they contain a large amount of calcium.

If you eat your cheese with crackers, you’ll want to sleep that much more. The soothing effect of tryptophan is enhanced by the presence of carbohydrates.

So be very careful if you don’t want to doze off after your lunch.

Moderate your consumption of almonds

Almonds also contain tryptophan, an amino acid that stimulates the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

Additionally, almonds are rich in magnesium, a mineral that relaxes muscles and makes us want to sleep. If you have to work after a meal, it is better not to eat it.

Don’t eat bananas

Because of the sugar contained in bananas, the tryptophan in our body sees its effects greatly enhanced.

Bananas also contain potassium and magnesium, in a very abundant way. These minerals relax our muscles and trigger great drowsiness.

Pay close attention to nuts

Nuts are also to be avoided if you do not wish to suffer from drowsiness, although they are less relaxing than other nuts, such as the almonds just mentioned.

They contain less tryptophan, but they are high in melatonin.

Some studies show that eating nuts increases melatonin levels in the blood and makes you want to sleep. So be very careful if you want to stay alert.

Don’t eat cherries

Cherries are delicious fruits, we all agree on this subject, but they can make you feel sleepy because they cause our melatonin levels to skyrocket.

If two or three cherries don’t make a difference, definitely don’t drink cherry juice, as it can literally keep you from getting off your couch!

Pay attention to the relaxing effect of chamomile

Chamomile contains glycine, an amino acid that has a sedative effect, very effective in relaxing our muscles and our nervous system.

You have certainly seen that a simple cup of chamomile tea can quickly make you want to sleep. So be very careful about when you choose to drink it.

Be reasonable with squash seeds

It won’t surprise you, but squash seeds also contain significant doses of tryptophan. They are also very rich in zinc and magnesium.

All these elements participate in a total relaxation of our muscles and our nervous system, which causes in us a great feeling of fatigue.

Oats for breakfast?

Oats provide us with tryptophan, but it is also a cereal rich in B-complex vitamins, elements that relax our nervous system. But that’s not all ! Oats also contain magnesium and calcium.

• If you don’t want to doze off after breakfast, don’t boost the relaxing effect of oats by adding milk, bananas, or almonds to it.
• Try to find other foods, like plant milks, to replace them.

Don’t forget the white rice

White rice has a high glycemic index, which causes delayed drowsiness about 3 to 4 hours after passing through our digestive system.

Thai jasmine rice is certainly the one with the strongest hypnotic effect.

Very fatty fish

The acids contained in the fattier fish, such as salmon or tuna, stimulate the production of melatonin. It is exactly the same with any other fish, as long as it is fried.

These acids also lower our levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which puts us in such a state of relaxation that we may tend to doze off.